by Austin Bainbridge

Freshman former JV football player Jaxx Long trots onto the field feeling confident after his pregame rituals and a week of practice ready to help his team win the game.

“I always put the team first. I love it when we win because not just me but the whole team wins,” said Long.

Practice is four days a week and three hours long every day. Head football coach Joe Washington likes to see it go well because he puts a lot of effort into every practice and places a lot of importance on it.

“I’d say about 80% of winning games is practice because if we have a lot of talent but don’t know how to execute it we will probably fail,” said Washington.

Players also take practice very seriously, as they know of its importance. The practices throughout the week greatly impact games. 

“I put in 100% effort into every play during practice because it helps me during games,” said sophomore JV player Landon Dauby.

Practice has many different activities. After all, athletes can do a lot in three hours. JV may not have the number one priority, but they get to do activities that varsity does not. 

“We like to use a scout team with JV to get our varsity guys used to the other teams’ plays. Since they’re going against varsity players it can sharpen their skills. We also like to let them run our plays at the end of practice,” said Washington. 

JV is often treated as a different part of the team entirely; it doesn’t usually get influenced by how the other teams play. They do get the benefit of playing against the same players they will play with on varsity in the future.

“The coaching staff doesn’t use JV as an example of how varsity will play and vice versa. We like to run more true read option plays with Little Cam. We also want to throw the ball more since  our JV receivers are pretty good,” said Washington

Practice plays a large role in preparing for the week, but pregame rituals and traditions are also important. Without them, players may not be able to perform to the best of their abilities.

“Before the game, I listen to music to stay focused on what I need to do. I think it greatly helps me play to the best of my ability,” said Long.

Some people think JV has little if any purpose, but to the players it means a lot. They have a large portion of their lives centered around it and it makes them feel ready for life.

“Playing football makes me feel good; my body feels better overall, and I feel that I’m ready to do almost anything,” said Dauby.

People often don’t realize that a great amount of work goes into JV games. From Monday practice to kickoff on Saturday, players put their whole body and mind into it. They do not play football for the glitz and glamor, but for the love of the game. 

“I play football because I feel better during and afterward. I love the camaraderie and brotherhood I get from the team,  and I really enjoy just playing football to the best of my ability,” said Long.